God of War: Ghost of Sparta
|genre = Hack and slash, action-adventure |modes = Single-player }} God of War: Ghost of Sparta is the sixth installment of the God of War series, released on the PlayStation Portable and the PSP Go. It was later released along with God of War: Chains of Olympus on the PlayStation 3 in God of War: Origins Collection. The story is the second interquel between the first God of War and God of War II, but the only interquel to be in canon, and has Kratos visiting the long lost city of Atlantis. Story An Oracle foretold that the demise of Olympus would come by a Marked Warrior, a mortal. The Olympian Gods Zeus and Ares believed this warrior to be Deimos, brother of Kratos, due to his strange birthmarks from fighting with Kratos. Ares sieges a village of Sparta and interrupts the childhood training of Kratos and Deimos, with Athena on hand to watch over him, and kidnaps Deimos. Kratos attempts to stop Ares, but is swept aside and scarred across his right eye by the violent Olympian. Ares, the fallen God of war, prepares to kill the young Kratos for attacking him. Thankfully, Athena stops Ares and tells him they only came for the Marked Warrior not to take the boy's life. Taken to the Domain of Death , Deimos is imprisoned and tortured by the God of Death, Thanatos. Kratos, the Ghost of Sparta, has taken Ares' place as the new God of War on Mount Olympus. Still haunted by visions of his mortal past, Kratos decides - against the advice of the Goddess Athena - to explore his past and travels to the Temple of Poseidon, located within the city of Atlantis. Despite Poseidon's best efforts to prevent Kratos from reaching his city, including sending the monster Scylla, Kratos reaches Atlantis. After a series of confrontations Kratos kills Scylla. Kratos eventually locates his ailing mother, Callisto, who reveals to him the identity of his father, with Kratos only hearing very weak and faint noises and also tells him that his brother is alive and tormented in Death's Domain.. When Callisto is suddenly transformed into a hideous beast, Kratos is forced to battle her, and before dying, Callisto thanks Kratos and beseeches him to seek out his brother Deimos in Sparta. Before departing Atlantis, Kratos encounters and frees the trapped Titan Thera, which causes a flood that destroys Atlantis. After a battle on the Aronia Pass with Erinys, Thanatos' daughter, and after he kills Erinys, Kratos arrives in Sparta where he is praised by the people while on his way to the Temple of Ares he witnesses a group of Spartans, led by the Last Spartan, tearing down a statue of Ares to replace it with one of Kratos. Kratos then goes to the Jails of Sparta where he chases a dissenter loyal to Ares who tries to kill the Spartan by releasing the Piraeus Lion. However, Kratos fights and kills both foes. He returns to the Temple of Ares and after an encounter with a ghost-like form of his younger self, he learns he must return to Atlantis and find Death's Domain. Kratos then accepts his former weapons, the Arms of Sparta, as a gift from the Last Spartan, and departs. After Kratos leaves Sparta, he returns to Atlantis but when his ship draws closer to the sunken city, minions of Poseidon sink Kratos' ship and killed the crew. After nearly drowning a statue of Poseidon possessed by the Sea God himself tells the Spartan he will pay for sinking his kingdom and he will not forget this event. Kratos then transverses through the city's ruin, where after being warned by the Grave Digger not to alienate the Gods, he is finally able to locate the Gateway to Death's Domain. Entering Death's Domain, Kratos eventually locates and frees his imprisoned brother Deimos. Enraged with Kratos' failure to rescue him sooner, Deimos states never forgiving Kratos, and attacks him, only for Thanatos to intervene. Taking Deimos to the Suicide Bluffs, the latter almost falls off the cliff. Kratos then saves his brother, and the two reconcile. After giving Deimos the Arms of Sparta, Kratos and Deimos fight Thanatos together. During the fight, Thanatos transforms into a black monster and kills Deimos, but is then destroyed by an enraged Kratos. Kratos then carries the body of his fallen brother up the mountain where he the enigmatic Grave Digger (who already had a grave prepared) buries Deimos, with Kratos using the Arms of Sparta as a grave marker. The Ghost of Sparta then goes to the Suicide Bluffs where he after briefly pondering suicide asks himself "By the gods, what have I become ?!" The Grave digger then responds that he has become "Death...the Destroyer of Worlds". Kratos turns to look at the Grave Digger who has disappeared just as Athena comes out of the portal where she tells him that his ties to the mortal world are now severed and he is ready to become a God. Athena attempts to elevate Kratos to full God hood only to have the Spartan stop her doing so. Kratos then returns to Olympus stating the gods will pay for what they have done as this happen. As Kratos returns, Athena exclaims "Forgive me...brother", marking the first time Athena acknowledges they're siblings. In a post-credits scene, the Grave Digger is shown laying Callisto to her grave, stating "And now...only one remains". A third grave is seen, leading to believe it was dug for Kratos. The scene then shows Kratos on his throne, in his newly-forged armor, furious and determined to exact vengeance on the Gods. It is widely assumed that this leads up to the beginning of God of War II, as Kratos, driven by the rage of the loss of his brother and mother, leads the Spartans into a vicious battle to take over the city of Rhodes. Zeus, who has been poisoned uncontrollably with Fear after witnessing Kratos murder the God of Death, later tricks Kratos and kills him, fulfilling his statement that he was going to kill the remaining person in the family he should have never made. Characters *Kratos *Athena *Deimos *Ares *Lanaeus *Grave Digger *King Midas *Callisto *Thera *Poseidon *Erinys *Thanatos *Dissenter *Last Spartan Enemies Common Enemies * Cyclops Tyrant * Armored Cyclops * Gorgon * Minotaur * Minotaur Brute * Geryon * Automaton * Cursed Remains * Rabid Hound * Cursed Wretch * Harpy * Fire Harpling * Harpy Widow * Hoplite * Hoplite Archer * Hoplite Guard * Hoplite Sentry * Dredge of Boreas * Boreas Spawn * Scylla Brood * Keres Wraith * Raven * Satyr * Triton Assassin * Triton Soldier * Triton Lord Bosses * Scylla: The legendary sea monster. * Callisto: Kratos' mother, hideously transformed into a beast. * Erinys: Daughter of Thanatos. * Piraeus Lion: Gigantic feline beast. * Deimos: Kratos' brother. * Thanatos: God of Death, the final boss. Items and Abilities Weapons * Blades of Athena: The blades given to Kratos by Athena at the end of God of War. * Arms of Sparta: The weapons of Kratos; the Spartan General and the Coat of Arms of Sparta. * Thera's Bane: Thera's power can imbue the Blades of Athena with fire. Magic * Eye of Atlantis: An ancient relic of Poseidon that harnesses the power of Atlantis. * Scourge of Erinys: This artifact can unleash a power that no mortal nor god should wield. * Horn of Boreas: Horn that summons the power of the God of the North Wind, Boreas. Items * The Skull of Keres: The key Kratos needs to gain entrance into Death's Domain. * Automaton Gear (x4): Automaton's weapon and key. * Key of Crete: A key that opens several doors throughout Crete. * Poseidon's Trident: Allows you to breathe underwater. Relics of the Gods These items grant bonuses in bonus play if activated. * Callisto's Armlet: Activate this item to automatically win context sensitive minigames. * Athena's Owl: Activate this item to help find treasures. * Aphrodite's Ambrosia: Activate this item to gain a brutal kick attack. (Might of Sparta) * The King's Ring: Activate this item to collect 10 times the amount of red orbs. * The Bonds of Ares: Activate this item to grant infinite magic. * Grave Digger's Shovel: The shovel unlocks a new costume in the Arena Combat Mode. Bonus Costumes *God Armor: Slaughter your enemies while wearing the fearful God of War armor. *Deimos: Play the game as Kratos' younger brother, Deimos. *Kratos Legionnaire: Wear this classic Spartan armor to go all badass with the Arms of Sparta. *Robotos: If you thought the standard Kratos looks cool, prepare to eat your words. *Ghost of Sparta: You are Kratos, the Ghost of Sparta. *Grave Digger: Play as Zeus in the Combat Arena. Cut Content Dana Jan stated that fans wanted a "female version" of Kratos. Dana Jan presented this idea to the team. They designed a "Goddess of War" costume. Sadly, the costume never made it to the final publication. Goddess of War.jpg Cast * Steven Blum - Ares, Citizen, Ship Captain, Soldier * Arthur Burghardt - Thanatos * Terrence C. Carson - Kratos * Mark Deklin - Deimos, Citizen, Soldier * Alistair Duncan - Citizen, Soldier * Paul Eiding - Grave Digger, Dissenter * Gideon Emery - Poseidon, Last Spartan, Crazed Soldier * Jennifer Hale - Callisto (young), Erinys (shared voice), Citizen * Linda Hunt - Narrator * Deanna Hurstold - Callisto * Liam O'Brien - Soldier * Cara Pifko - Citizen, Spartan Harlot * Tara Platt - Citizen, Spartan Harlot * Dee Dee Rescher - Thera * Antony Del Rio - Kratos (young) * Fred Tatasciore - Zeus, King Midas, Lanaeus * Erin Torpey - Athena, Erinys (shared voice), Spartan Harlot * Bridger Zadina - Deimos (young) Reception God of War: Ghost of Sparta has received generally positive acclaim from various media outlets. IGN (9.5/10) stated graphics are "better than a big chunk of PS2 games" and that it is the "best-looking game on the PSP thus far." In terms of gameplay, "there's nothing unique here, but that's not a bad thing." Playsation: The Official Magazine (10/10) stated "Ghost of Sparta offers an immersive experience on par with many of the best PS3 games". 1UP (A-) claims the game is "a more personal story than the other GOW games, but one that still features the series' signature trademarks", with the sex mini-game "arguably the most over-the-top of the bunch". Eurogamer (7/10) states the "game's primary problem...is in its in-built focus." The God of War series... is principally concerned with endlessly upping the ante. The battle system is strong, but nothing without the world and set-pieces it drives. There is a sense that Ghost of Sparta is a step back for the series if you've played the PlayStation 3 game. The set-pieces, while incredible within the context of this handheld platform, seem tired when set against, for example, the opening scenes of God of War III. And when you take away the sense of wonder in a God of War game, the remaining components struggle to carry the experience." Eurogamer also states the game is "best enjoyed by newcomers" or "those yet to play" God of War III. Game Informer (9.5) stated that in terms of gameplay, "the other core fighting mechanics are familiar, but the tweaks go a long way toward improving gameplay". They also stated that "Ghost of Sparta doesn’t have any mind-blowing moments" but "this isn’t an optional side-story; Ghost of Sparta is a must-play for God of War fans." Trivia * The Ghost of Sparta PSP demo was unleashed on the North-American PSN on September 28, 2010, and a day later, on September 29, in Europe. * According to the European PlayStation Blog, Kratos would be armed with "the deadly chained Blades of Chaos". ''Since they were taken from him by Ares at the end of the first God of War, it is assumed they meant to say the Blades of Athena. * The Grave Digger is in fact Zeus. Selecting the Grave Digger costume and then entering the arena will show the Grave Digger lifting his shovel in the air and smashing it to the ground creating a shockwave of lightning. When the lightning clears, Zeus appears, holding the Blade of Olympus and wearing his gauntlet. * In remembrance of his lost brother, Kratos sports a red tattoo on his body, which closely resembles Deimos' birthmark in his adult years. This is most likely why the Gods did not suspect him for being Marked Warrior as he did not yet gain the marks until after his brother was taken * When Deimos was snatched by Ares, Kratos tried saving his brother, only to have Ares punch Kratos in the face, sending him onto a pile of wood. When Kratos looked up, his right eye was hit, leaving him a scar. * Similar to the opening level in God of War II, the Blades of Athena in this game are bright gold in color with glowing blue glyphs, and even being leveled up, they keep the same shape throughout all the game, as in God of War III. * Similar to God of War III, Kratos can be covered with blood as he slaughters enemies. * The PAL retail cover displays Kratos wielding the Arms of Sparta, while the NTSC cover has him holding the Blades of Athena. * The opening of the game is similar to the opening of the first God of War game, since Kratos starts out on a boat and fights a sea based monster. * During the sequence where Kratos chases Midas through the volcanic caves, there is a golden chest and a golden Cyclops on one side. Both items cannot be interacted with, however attacking them yields red orbs. * God of War: Ghost of Sparta is the first game to break some traditions to the previous games. ** In the start menu of God of War: Ghost of Sparta, the left (tattooed) side of Kratos' face is shown opposed to the other games where his right (scarred) side is shown. ** All the previous games (except Betrayal) were released in the month of March, but Ghost of Sparta was released in November 2010. * Ghost of Sparta is also the first to introduce some combat factors later seen in God of War: Ascension . ** There are multiple steep slopes in-game where Kratos can slide down. His sliding position is exactly the same seen in Ascension (he crouches down with his Blades stabbed on the ground). While sliding down the steep slopes the player can control where Kratos goes. Also, every steep slopes in GoS end in a large gap to another platform, which Kratos must jump to using a small QTE . This is also seen frequently in Ascension. ** Even though it only appeared twice in-game, the "No-QTE/Free attack" mode popularly seen in Ascension can be used in two particular scenes in Ghost of Sparta. One is in the Callisto fight where the monster slams Kratos to the wall. The other is where Kratos chase Erinys ' bird form. The players are free to spam square or triangle attack against both enemies until they launch their attack again. * Athena only appears in person to Kratos once in the game. Besides that she appears three times in statues and once in flashbacks of the Spartan Raid. At the end of the game she refers to Kratos as "Brother" since they are both children of Zeus. * Ghost of Sparta is the only game that is played entirely as a god. * Although Callisto reveals Kratos the identity of his father being Zeus, it seems that Kratos denies the truth until the end of God of War II where Athena reveals that to him that Zeus is indeed Kratos' father. * As the game came out and was made after God of War III, The Blades of Athena share some of the Blades of Exile's moveset. * In the area where Kratos meets the first cyclops, the famous Wilhelm Scream is heard as the cyclop throws a soldier into another person. * It is believed that since Kratos killed Thanatos, instead of there being no Death in the world (as a result of the absence of the Death God), Kratos has become death itself, the ultimate destroyer that will bring utter chaos to the worlds of man and gods (reference to God of War 3, where Kratos brings only Chaos at the end of his adventure). 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[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iyh_H0xvRv8 Official Origins Trailer] Ghost of Sparta Sex Mini-Game Redemption Trailer God of War Origins Collection for PS3 Cutscenes Part 1 of 3 Part 2 of 3 Part 3 of 3 Related Pages *Ghost of Sparta (soundtrack) *God of War: Chains of Olympus Site Navigation de:God of War: Ghost of Sparta Category:God of War Series Category:Games Category:God of War:Ghost of Sparta Category:God of War:Saga Collection Category:God of War Origins Collection Category:Interquel